"Like the Rolling Stones’ song says, it’s a drag getting old, and marketers know it. Every year, they bombard us with an array of products that claim to turn back the clock on our faces, our bodies, and even our brains. There are lotions and potions to smooth your wrinkles and hair dyes to cover your gray. If you have no hair left to cover, there are purported baldness cures.

And those are just the products at the drugstore. Department stores, specialty shops, and doctors’ offices offer other, pricier options. Staying young is definitely a big business. Does any of this stuff actually work? To find out, we examined the anti-aging market on three fronts.

The distress caused by a balding head inspired extreme remedies even in the time of Hippocrates, who tried smearing pigeon droppings on the scalp. Other early fixes: hippopotamus fat, tar and sulfur, and horse urine. Leap to the 21st century, and there's still no magic bullet, but that doesn't mean resorting to pigeons.

To see which hair-loss remedies are worth trying, we turned to the opinions of our subscribers. More than 8,000 readers answered an online survey about hair loss and their experiences with hair-regrowth remedies. They also provided their own strategies for making hair look thicker, including creative hairstyling and bulking up at the gym (hey, whatever works)."

80% of women and almost 50% of men surveyed attempted to mask their hair loss. Here's what they tried and their assessment (% of effectiveness) of how well each worked: Wear a wig or toupée 65% effective Shave head (for men) 46% effectiveDress better 46% effectiveExercise to improve physique 44% effective Change hair style 43% effective Use products that make hair look thicker 38% effective Cover head more often 30% effective

According to the survey the three best things about hair loss -There's no need to spend time grooming hair. You save money on shampoos and conditioners. You can wear a hat without messing your hair.